Bahrain Darts Masters: Luke Littler returns after PDC World Championship final
- Published
Luke Littler turns 17 on Sunday
Bahrain Darts Masters | |
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Venue: Bahrain International Circuit Dates: 18-19 January Coverage: Live text commentary of selected matches, with play due to start at 16:00 GMT on both days. |
The 16-year-old who captured the nation's hearts says "it's back to business" as he prepares to return to the oche.
Luke Littler went into the 2024 PDC World Championship as a rank outsider, largely unknown beyond darting circles.
Three weeks later he was a household name, dismantling two former winners as he stormed to the final, breaking television records and picking up a cool £200,000 in prize money.
Since the final this - which he lost to Luke Humphries - Littler has continued to capture the public's imagination.
He passed one million followers on Instagram. When he went to see his Manchester United side play Tottenham on Sunday, pictures of him alongside legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson, external made headline news.
On Thursday world number 31 Littler will be back doing his day job, returning to our television screens in the Bahrain Darts Masters, which will be broadcast by ITVX.
There will be live text commentary of selected matches on the BBC Sport website and app.
"It's back to business for me now," said Littler.
"I've chilled out and not really thrown many darts since the World Championship final but I'm sure that once I'm in the practice room I'll be alright.
"I like playing all the time but after the World Championship I wanted to get away, which me and the family did. Hopefully, I can have a good event here to get back playing."
The event features eight leading PDC players and eight 'Asian representatives', two of whom came through local qualifying.
Littler is joined by Humphries, former world champions Michael van Gerwen, Michael Smith, Gerwyn Price, Rob Cross and Peter Wright, and World Matchplay champion Nathan Aspinall.
"My motivation is high now. I'm going to be more dedicated than ever and I want to continue to be successful and win more major titles," said Humphries.
The PDC players will be kept apart in Thursday's opening round, where Littler will face Hong Kong's Man-Lok Leung. Littler's opponent is ranked joint-126th in the world.
The eight winners will progress to the quarter-finals, played on Friday along with the semis and final.
The champion will win £20,000 in prize money.
Luke Littler (bottom right) is a Manchester United fan and watched their game against Tottenham from the directors' box